Demak Kingdom's Stamp on Palembang Tomb

by Dian Nafi (Indonesia)

I didn't expect to find Indonesia

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Demak Kingdom's Stamp on Palembang Tomb Dian Nafi Palembang is my dream city from many years ago. Begin with a misterious letter from a girl from that City. She sent it randomly to Class leader 1.1 at Senior High School at Demak. Fortunately it was me. Then we become pen pals for some years. She tell me a lot about Musi River, Ampera bridge, many places and stories about Palembang. According her letters, I know more that actually Palembang and Demak have a great bounding. My wish to travel exploring that city become bigger after I met Rizal vocalist Armada Band who also come from Palembang. His attitudes attract my attention. Even he is a superstar but still humble, keep his friendship, love his parents and family, sincere and generous. Then i realize that he is inspired by values of wong kito galo palembang. So when i get invitation from Palembang tourism department, i take it. The palembang journey is also my way to trace Sultan Fatah's history. In five days I visit so many places in Bumi Sriwijaya, another name of Palembang. Going to pulau Kemaro for Cap Go Meh peak event, Ampera Bridge, lunch in floating boat on Musi River,explore museum, sightseeing ..the city, feel the nuance and ambience inside of Rumah Limas, antic and exotic architecture residence of Palembang, enhance the art by looking details of quran akbar, being awesome with the tradisional dancing, tour walking inside Chinese and Arabic kampoong, and many more....experiences. The most excited trip is when the guide tour bring us to some griefs areas of Palembang heroes and previous leaders. Raja-raja, the kings and queens. Ulama, the preachers. Kapitan, the soldiers and commanders. Its called as ziarah in bahasa Indonesia and arabic. Ziarah means visit. With ziarah, we can get inspiration from the leaders and heroes. Knowing their names, stories, histories, motivations, aims and struggles. Reading their connection between others. From king number 1, the eldest, to younger leaders and so on. From this silsilah, ..family tree, i can read the connection between sultan fattah, demak' king, and king of Palembang. My mission for tracing is complete. Because i can visit the places where sultan fatah born and live while he was young. The family who take care of him until teenager before he....finally come to Java, visiting his father, Brawijaya V, the last king of Majapahit. Then he get land of Demak where he build his own kingdom later. There are some grief tomb areas of kings and leaders in Palembang. Kawah Tekurep, saba king king, ki gede ing suro tomb area, and others. Surprisingly when we visit Ki Gede Ing Suro grief tomb area, after the guide tour tell the grief's keeper that I come from Demak, she spontanously tell us there are Demak Kingdom Stamp on a side of one grief's corner. Really?! I can't hold my scream. Then we run to the side that being pointed. .by the grief's keeper. There are six areas on this place. And the pointed corner has nine griefs inside very short wall. I open my eyes widely to find out the stamp. And automatically I scream again, this time probably louder, when i finally find the Demak kingdom stamp. Aaarrgh. That Jipan Stamp!. My finger point out it to let others see how my lovely old city's stamp looks like. It is stilization from one kind of vegetable, named Jipan or Jipang. Actually the surface of a Jipan's slice. We can see the same stamps on fence wall of Demak Great Mosque. I touch the Jipan stamp and feel the texture of its surface. Like it can connect me to hundreds years ago and saw how those nine soldiers from Demak bring this stamp from origin place to Palembang. They cultivate the stamp on the wall to make the connection higher. This surprise stamp fact complete my another findings at Palembang. Such as tomb of Ratu Sepuh who come from Demak, she is the first wife of Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin 2. Ratu Sinuhun -wife of Pangeran Sedo ing Kenayan- actually wrote Kitab Simbur Cahaya which being guideline between humans and environment. This is incredible that women has power and contribution like th